The Human Among Wolves (Aurora) novel Chapter 228

Chapter 228

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He leaned down just long enough to grab a pair of sweatpants from his backpack, his cock swinging freely with the motion, brushing against his thigh before he tugged the soft fabric up over his hips, trapping that bulze right at the front where it strained noticeably.

When he straightened again, he was still watching me, that same knowing look in his eyes.

“See?” he said calmly. “All safe now.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and pointed straight at him. “You absolutely did that on purpose

He smirked. “Maybe.”

Then, finally–mercifully–he turned away from me, pulling a shirt over his head and settling onto the bed beside me like he hadn’t just completely wrecked my ability to think straight.

The mattress dipped under his weight. That simple shift–so small, so harmless–felt impossibly loud in the quiet room.

I lay stiff on my side, staring straight ahead at the dull glow of the motel lamp on the wall. My heart was still racing. My thoughts

were everywhere and nowhere at once. Every nerve in my body felt awake, too aware of the heat beside me, the steady rise and fall

of his chest, the quiet proof of his presence.

Zayn shifted slightly, stretching an arm behind his head. “You’re awfully quiet,” he murmured.

“That’s because you broke my brain,” I muttered.

He chuckled under his breath. “Didn’t realize I had that kind of power.”

I swallowed, trying to force my breathing back into something normal. It wasn’t working. Not with him this close. Not with

everything unresolved between us. Not with my wolf quietly stirring beneath my skin like she was listening too closely.

The silence settled again, heavy but not uncomfortable. Just charged.

After a minute, Zayn turned his head toward me. I didn’t look back. I wasn’t sure I trusted myself if I did.

“Rory,” he said softly, no teasing now. Just him. “You okay?”

I nodded once, even though he couldn’t see it. “Yeah. Just… tired.”

He shifted beside me, the mattress dipping slightly as he scooted closer. Not enough to crowd me–just enough that the space

between us felt intentional now. Protective. Warm.

“Try to sleep,” he murmured quietly.

I let out a slow breath, staring at the wall in front of me. I really tried. I closed my eyes. I focused on slowing my breathing, on the steady rhythm of his beside me. But my thoughts refused to settle. They kept circling, restless and awake inside my chest.

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12:23 Thu, Jan 29 BGB.

Chapter 228

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“Zayn…” I whispered after a moment,

I turned my head toward him, meeting his gaze in the dim light. The words crowded my throat, heavy and uncertain. I didn’t even

know how to ask what I was about to ask. I wasn’t sure I could bring myself to say it out loud.

But he already knew.

His expression shifted instantly–softer, serious, completely present. He searched my face for a heartbeat, then shook his head once,

slow and sure.

“No,” he said quietly.

The word wasn’t harsh. It wasn’t cold. It was careful.

“I can’t,” he added softly. “Not right now. Not when you’re this vulnerable.”

Something in my chest tightened at that–not with disappointment, but with the weight of how deliberate he was being. How

controlled. How much effort it clearly took..

I swallowed and nodded, even though my emotions were tangled and unfamiliar in my throat. “Okay,” I murmured.

His hand moved then–slow, cautious–resting lightly over mine on the bed. Not gripping. Not pulling. Just there. Grounding.

“Sleep,” he said again, gentler this time.

And this time, I tried a little harder

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